How To Remove A Ceramic Coating

Ceramic coatings are the best way to protect your vehicle's paint from UV rays, acrid rain, bird droppings, issues splatter, and a host of other contaminants. They produce a physical layer on top of the paint, repelling pelting and water and preventing dirt and crud from sticking to the surface, producing a sort of self-cleaning effect.

One of the major benefits of ceramic coatings is they last a long fourth dimension - usually a minimum of 12 months for the cheapest and lowest class products.

But what if you desire to remove a ceramic coating? Well, you're in for a workout. Ceramic coatings are an absolute chore to remove.

In this commodity, we'll walk yous through the dissimilar methods of removing a ceramic coating from your vehicle.

Let's get started and remove that quondam ceramic coating!

Torque Detail Decontamination Kit

Ceramic Coating Removal Kit

This kit provides all you need to remove most ceramic coatings too as harmful contaminants that sit on your paint'southward surface. *For tough ceramic coatings, further work may be needed as described later on in this guide*

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Why Would You Want To Remove A Ceramic Coating?

And so you might be asking yourself: if ceramic coatings are and so practiced, why would I desire to have mine off?

In a perfect globe, yous'd drive your motorcar to a detailing shop and club a full detailing service and a professional-course ceramic blanket. Such a service is definitely available - however, it costs several thousands of dollars, and unless y'all bulldoze a very expensive vehicle it may non be in your upkeep.

If you drive a regular motorcar like the rest of u.s., you lot're probably winging your ceramic coating yourself - and that where the problems offset.

Practice You Always Accept To Remove The Ceramic Coating Completely?

No, not always.

Perchance there's just i spot where hazing occurs or just a couple of scratches you desire to smoothen off.

If the surface of the body panels is perfectly clear with great end and smoothen, AND if the ceramic coating nevertheless exhibits all of its qualities, yous don't need to strip information technology down completely.

Instead, y'all can just remove it on the spots yous desire to the accost so reapply.

Conversely, at that place may exist no pigment problems to correct and the auto nonetheless looks like a one thousand thousand bucks - it's just that the coating is no longer working equally it once was. Information technology's lost its hydrophobic properties, and y'all find the automobile is getting a lot dirtier a lot quicker than it used to.

In this case, yous can merely apply a new coat of ceramic after thoroughly washing and decontaminating the vehicle. Ceramic coatings tin can be applied on top of each other. The layers are extremely sparse and easily bail to one another, provided the vehicle is carefully prepped.

There's a caveat, however: it's merely advised to apply a ceramic blanket on an existing layer if they are the exact aforementioned product. Dissimilar formulations might not bond properly to each other, which will reduce the longevity of your blanket, and you lot'll then have to practice it all over once again sooner than normal.

Preparing The Car For Ceramic Coating Removal

Now then, if y'all definitely have to remove the ceramic coating, you lot need to start with a thorough cleaning and preparation session.

No thing how new, clean, or protected your car is, meticulous cleaning is always required. You'll exist surprised how much grit, dirt, airborne pollutants, and contamination in that location is on your car.

In order to properly remove a ceramic coating and subsequently employ a new layer, you lot need a surgically-clean vehicle.

Phase 1: Rinse The Vehicle

Rinse the car kickoff to wash away all loose dirt and debris. Utilize light pressure to prevent propelling difficult mud and debris at high speed toward the surface of your pigment.

Stage 2: Decontamination

Subsequently rinsing, fifty-fifty if information technology looks similar the machine is perfectly clean, there'southward going to exist a number of particles still lodged in the surfaces and pores of the pigment. We're talking about mineral deposits, salts, iron dust, leftover grease and grime, tar, etc. There'south all kinds of contagion picked up from the surrounding environs.

Reminder: Every product you need to consummate this footstep is arranged in our Ultimate Decon Kit.

Decon Soap is an all-in-one product that not only acts as a car shampoo, but as well a contaminate remover. Information technology'll remove everything from your wax layer, all the manner upwardly to restriction dust, crud, issues guts, iron, and more. If you did not use Decon Soap in the previous step, you'll have to look for individual decontamination products. It might even be enough to get your ceramic blanket off if it has degraded enough.

Finally, afterward chemically removing all possible contaminants, it's time for a clay bar pass. Our Dirt Decon Kit includes all you need to complete this pace. Instead of a typical clay bar, we include a clay pad. It's a lot easier to use, more than durable, and it can exist used up to 100 times. A dirt bar must be thrown out if you lot drop it on the ground. A dirt pad can simply be done off with the included dirt lube and you're good to go!

No matter how many products you've used, there's always going to exist some stubborn stuff that has embedded itself inside the bodily layers of the paint. The dirt bar volition pick the majority of these bonded contaminants and leave the surface as close to perfect equally can practically exist achieved.

Recall to apply lots of dirt bar lubricant to keep the surface wet at all times while claying. Use low-cal force per unit area and fold your clay over frequently to expose a fresh surface. Using a clay bar without a clay bar is similar shaving without shaving foam. You need the lubrication to avoid causing damage.

Here's How To Remove A Ceramic Coating

A high-end nano coating (ceramic coating) really bonds to a vehicle's painted surface. This is completely different than wax. The higher up decontamination procedure works best if the coating has already started deteriorating. Otherwise, the below methods volition be required.

Here are some more than heavy duty and constructive methods for removing the coating.

Testing the coating

The commencement footstep is to exam the properties of the ceramic coating:

• Does it still exhibit hydrophobic properties?
• Is the surface slick and glace to the affect?
• Are you seeing a modify in the reflectivity and shine?

Typically, ceramic coatings cannot be removed through washing and are highly resistant to various chemicals. Still, a low-quality or an erstwhile and deteriorated ceramic coating will be more susceptible to erosion.

If you went through all the cleaning and training steps meticulously, chances are you've already removed a portion of the ceramic coating and most definitely whatever wax or pigment sealant that may have been applied. As soft as it seems, dirt confined are actually annoying, so in combination with other products, they may be able to strip away the blanket.

If the coating is however holding potent, yous demand to start with the manufacturer's literature and cheque if there are any specific instructions for the coating's removal process. This is important.

Method one: Chemic removal of ceramic coatings

We mentioned already that ceramic coatings are very resistant to chemicals. However, that'due south non entirely truthful in all cases. Ceramic coatings fare extremely well against acids and salts, which are the majority of chemicals the vehicle will encounter out in the surround.

However, on the opposite side of the pH calibration, alkaline products such as degreasers volition attack the ceramic coating aggressively and break down its bond with the surface, making it easier to remove. Still, there's a caveat.

Alarm: Your clear coat is just equally vulnerable to alkaline products (degreasers, restriction cleaners, etc.) every bit the ceramic coating is. If you utilize besides strong a product or let it dwell on the surface, it can eat through the coating and assault the articulate coat and underlying paint layers. If not used carefully and with utter attention, alkali metal products tin damage and compromise your paint irreversibly.

With that in mind, yous tin can mix a DIY solution of cycle and restriction cleaner diluted 5:1 with ordinary h2o. Mix thoroughly in a spray bottle and spray on the body panel.

While it's still moisture and soapy, pick up a new slice of clay and clay the surface, agitating the product. Make sure to piece of work quickly and employ low-cal force per unit area. When you're done, rinse thoroughly with a power washer.

In a 5:1 solution, the wheel cleaner should be fairly harmless to your pigment. Still, you don't want information technology on the surface a second longer than it needs to be. Information technology'due south always a practiced idea to test in an camouflaged identify first.

When you think you're washed, test the ceramic coating again to see how much you've removed. Picket the video below to run into how information technology's done.

Chemical removal is effective for old and degraded ceramic coatings, besides as for lower quality products that contain a smaller percentage of SiO2 particles. Professional-grade products, all the same, may not give in as easily.

Method 2: Polishing off ceramic coatings

The just universally accepted method to remove ceramic coatings is mechanical abrasion. Since the ceramic coating is a physical layer, polishing is the simply surefire manner to remove it 100% and betrayal the articulate coat underneath.

In fact, many of the high-form professional ceramic coatings claim the merely way to remove them is through motorcar polishing.

If y'all're removing the coating because of bad application, analyze the coating for high spots and aberrant thickness. If such are present, you lot want to wet sand them by mitt before taking out the large gun.

Utilize fine sandpaper and a off-white amount of lubricant on the surface. Outset with 3000 grit and, if necessary, motility down to more than ambitious grit until y'all run into the ceramic coating wearing off. Only be careful to not eat into the clear coat.

After all the high spots are addressed, the rest of the process is the same as polishing an uncoated vehicle.

• Grab your random-orbit machine polisher and equip it with a medium cut pad and a medium to lite polishing compound.
• Employ an appropriate corporeality of compound to the pad, following the product's description.
• Dab the surface several times to spread the paste, and start the machine on the lowest setting to evenly use it beyond the body panel.
• Then, switch to a higher setting and begin polishing. Move the automobile approximately ane inch per second. Don't let it sit in the aforementioned spot to prevent overheating the expanse and marring the surface.
• Buff out the panel and audit the result. Test the coating to run across if it was completely removed.
• If you don't similar the result, y'all can step down to a more aggressive polishing compound. Nonetheless, you volition about likely need to perform a second pass with a lighter production to remove the scratches left by the previous operation.
• Polish the clear coat until you're satisfied with the surface quality.

Afterwards polishing the vehicle, information technology should be 100% free of any ceramic coating.

Final prep before re-applying the new coating

You're almost done.

Polishing can leave fine dust and other particles on the body panel. You'll get nigh of this out when buffing the surface, but the nooks and crannies, especially on a more edgy car, will retain some amount.

Wash the auto with regular soap i more than time and dry thoroughly. As a final measure, exercise a terminal wipe-down with IPA - a 50/50 mix of isopropyl booze and h2o.

WARNING: Don't use whatever waterless wash products before applying your new ceramic coating! Those can contain polymer sealants, synthetic waxes, and even some per centum of SiO2. While they work great for maintaining your car on a daily basis, they'll forestall the ceramic blanket from properly adhering to the surface of the clear glaze, compromising its longevity and protective properties.

Summary

Okay, let's quickly recap what we've learned.

You need to remove ceramic coatings when they:

• Have deteriorated and no longer exhibit hydrophobic or cocky-cleaning properties
• Were poorly installed and resulted in a bad finish
• Were low-quality to begin with and don't perform equally expected

Earlier removing a ceramic coating, you need to properly clean and prep the vehicle, which includes:

• Washing wheel using regular car soap and the two-bucket method
• Decontamination cycle using atomic number 26, tar, and mineral deposit removers likewise as a clay bar

Y'all can remove a ceramic coating by:

• Using the chemical method with a diluted alkali metal solution and a clay bar - works effectively on lower grade or deteriorated coatings
• Using machine polishing to abrade the coating away - works effectively on all coatings

Alright, that's certainly been a hassle. Removing ceramic coatings is a lot of work - and the better they are, the harder it is to take them off.

If you're interested in an easier to apply ceramic coating, why non try Ceramic Spray by TorqueDetail ?

This is an piece of cake-to-use spray ceramic blanket that you can install in just a few minutes, and which provides a great level of protection confronting UV and chemicals. The easiest mode to ceramic glaze your vehicle and protect paintwork. Furthermore, Ceramic Spray gives your paint hydrophobic and cocky-cleaning properties. Finally, y'all get to enjoy an amazing shine and beautiful reflections.

And as an added benefit, if you e'er want to remove information technology, it's many times easier compared to a traditional ceramic coating.

Here's to extending the life of our car'southward pigment!

Written by Dan Sweeney

COO of Torque Detail & Certified Car Detailer

I assist run the day to twenty-four hour period for America's Number #1 Car Wax Mirror Shine by Torque Particular. Every bit a Certified Detailer by the International Detailing Clan, I use that noesis to aid create products that become professional class results with super simple awarding techniques.

Source: https://www.torquedetail.com/blogs/ceramic-coating/how-to-remove-ceramic-coating

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